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Weekly Highlights for 07-08-2009

I. Departmental/Bureau News

A. Upcoming Events

No Upcoming Events highlights for this week

B. Current

Long-Term Glacier Study Reveals Climate Shift
Fifty years of USGS research show dramatic shrinkage of three distinctively different "benchmark" glaciers in Alaska and Washington, indicating a shift in the regional climates, according to a USGS fact sheet due to be published in July. Glaciers respond to climate change by either adding or losing mass over time. Since the late-1980s, all three glaciers have lost mass at an accelerated rate, coincident with the highest melt years on record. To view the factsheet online go to: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2009/3046/.
Contact: Steven Frenzel Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7107

Redoubt Volcano Monitoring Moves Off 24/7 Staffing
The USGS Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) moved from 24/7 staffing to 6 AM - 9 PM seven days a week. Though AVO had lowered the Aviation Color Code to Yellow and the Alert Level to Advisory at Redoubt volcano on June 30, it is unknown if this represents the end of the 2009 eruption of Redoubt or if the activity has only paused temporarily and might resume in the next months. The newly emplaced lava dome may be unstable and a collapse could still cause a significant lahar.
Contact: Thomas Murray Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7042

II. Press Inquiries/Media

On July 8 Layne Adams, research wildlife biologist with the USGS Alaska Science Center, was contacted by an Associated Press reporter regarding harvest effects on wolf populations. The reporter is working on a story about the planned public harvests of wolves to begin this fall in Idaho and Montana where wolves have recently been removed from the Endangered Species list.
Contact: Layne Adams Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7159

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Page Last Modified: June 17, 2009